europhile

We are making it happen- taking the kids with us to Italy next summer! I'm talking about July 2016 so planning way ahead, but we're trying to get our basic itinerary and lodging set early. We are flying into Rome (spending several days there) and flying home from Venice after a few days there. In between those cities, we have about 10 nights to use elsewhere. I'm thinking a week rental in a Tuscany agriturismo (visiting Florence and Sienna while there), and we'd like to do a few days for some water time. I'd love to get the kids out on the water with sightseeing by boat (we live in FL and that's what we love to do) and also some chill out time by the pool and/or beach. The two areas I've thought of so far are the Italian Riviera (I'd love to see the Cinque Terre from the water) or Lake Como. My husband and I visited Lake Como years ago and rented a boat which was fun. We've also boated around Capri in years past and loved that. We've never been to the Italian Riviera.

With kids this age, does anyone have suggestions on what would be the better area to visit (or perhaps know another good suggestion)? I guess factors to consider are (1) ease of travel from Rome or Tuscany (we could do it either before or after the agriturismo rental), (2) availability of lodging with a pool and a nice village/town for restaurants and strolling, (3) opportunity for getting out on the water for sightseeing, and (4) general kid-friendliness, like is there a carousel, a sandy beach, etc. Please let me know if you have suggestions!

IDtoTX

We took our 3 kids to Europe a couple of years ago. We spent a relaxing week (after Paris and before Rome) in Lucca. We went to the coast (Marina di Pietrasanta) a couple of days while we were in Lucca and really enjoyed the beach and the beach club. Lucca was definitely the highlight of the trip for my kids. They loved the beach but they also loved exploring Lucca. It was a very easy trip from Lucca to Rome. Enjoy the planning!

europhile

Thank you! I guess I also need some suggestions for the Tuscany stay. Did you stay in a villa or hotel in Lucca? Is this a good base for seeing the inland sights of Tuscany? I'd love to be near a town where we can get to restaurants easily.

europhile

Based on my research on this forum, I'm looking at Sestri Levente (perhaps GH Castelli or Vis a Vis), Camogli (Cenobio dei dogi) or S.M. Ligure (lots of hotels). Any thoughts about these options with kids?

simpsonc510

Viareggio gets very little, if any, mention here on the forums. My husband and I "discovered" this lovely sandy beach a few years ago when traveling through Italy and needing a hotel for one night. The beach is very wide, there are hotels, and there are lots of choices for eating. I don't know about the option of boat tours from here.

IDtoTX

We stayed in a lovely apartment in Lucca. I hate being cooped up on hotels with the kids...I definitely prefer apartments whenever possible. I'm sure whatever you choose will turn out great. Our experience was that people in Italy were very welcoming to the kids.